Ideals Are Like Stars: The Dame Yvette Williams Story

The first New Zealand woman to win an Olympic gold medal a feat not repeated for forty years. Ideals Are Like Stars is the remarkable true story of Yvette Williams a trailblazing young athlete who defied the odds to win gold in the long jump at the Helsinki Olympics in 1952. Ignoring the pressure to abandon her dreams and become a housewife Yvette's sports career is a highlight reel of newly set records which propelled her into the spotlight. Well-known for her rigorous training down-to-earth nature and sense of humour Yvette was the epitome of the Kiwi sporting hero - humble hardworking and dedicated - who won the hearts of the nation. To this day she is regarded as a national treasure and her story is destined to inspire many young Kiwi athletes to follow in her wake. Author Angela Walker has written a remarkably intimate narrative account of the life of one of our nation's finest athletes. Angela who herself competed at the Olympics (Seoul) 36 years after Yvette has drawn on never-before-seen diaries as well as interviews with the late Kiwi icon to recreate the day-to-day world of Yvette on the page. This is a long overdue celebration of an extraordinary sporting life and a highly engaging chronicle of a young woman's quest for excellence.